Next Stop, Rome.

BOULDER, CO — The USA Women’s Eagles have officially embarked on a thirteen-day tour to Europe. 30 players and 8 staff departed for Rome, Italy on Tuesday evening and are expected to arrive on Wednesday morning.

Upon arrival, head coach Pete Steinberg will move players immediately to the practice field for an evening training session.

The short turnaround between travel and training is, as Steinberg remarked, “to adjust the players as quickly as possible to working in that environment. More than anything, the first practice is always utilized to allow the players to get the travel out of their legs, and to get a feel for the settings they will be playing in.”

The team will have three full days to prepare before they face Italy on Nov. 18. A matchup against Italy is a first for the Women’s Eagles.

“We are very excited about playing Italy for the first time,” said Steinberg. “[The Italians] are an interesting team that has the potential to play some very good rugby.”

The practice schedule has not been confirmed yet due to weather and travel arrangements, however an estimated number of five practices are expected to take place prior to the match against Italy. Two high-intensity trainings will be the focus on Thursday, followed by two sessions on Friday.

A determination will be made later in the week to have the Italian squad join the Eagles in at least one of Friday’s training sessions.

Kickoff for the Sunday contest is slated for 3 PM (9 AM EST) at the CPO Acqua Acetosa.

The team is still looking for support to cover the cost of the current tour. A great thank you is extended to the over 100 people who have donated thus far! If you have not donated, please consider doing so at http://usawomensrugby.org/support-usa/donate/